There's Always A Place For You In My Heart
by MandNwriterzz
Summary: The Avengers are home for the holidays, having really broken into Steve's apartment, but of course Steve let them. But they have gotten him the best Christmas present of his lifetime, which is saying something 'cause he's almost a hundred years old! Romanogers.


"No worries, Cap," Clint assured from his spot on the couch, gray eyes completely fixed on the flatscreen television screen. "It's coming."

Steve looked up from his place near the lit up Christmas tree. He had been lost in the dazzling sight of bright blue, green, red and various other shades of yellow lights flashing in his face. He was just thinking how in the name of hell was he supposed to pay for the electricity they were using up in his apartment in D.C. The Avengers had decided to stay at his house for the holidays, claiming they all hadn't seen each other in a while. It was true. It had been almost a year, actually. So Tony and Bruce had immediately started setting up the Christmas tree.

If you were wondering where the tree came from, the Avengers had really pressed the doorbell and Steve had opened the door, eyes widening and eyebrows furrowing in confusion as Thor suddenly bustled past him, shoving through a huge bunch of green leaves, or the tree, to be exact. Tony had waltzed in afterwards and clapped a hand on his shoulder, trilling, "Merry Christmas, Capsicle! Mind if we celebrate here?" Steve had barely opened his mouth when Tony interrupted, "Perfect! You know you love us, Cap."

Then Sam came in and said he'd loaned them the key. Steve frowned and kept frowning until the women came in, and put up a cheery smile for them, being the perfect host. "It's nice to see you," Pepper and Maria had said, walking in and Clint had dumped his huge bag under the tree that Thor plopped into the corner, Tony and Bruce stringing up popcorn already.

"The pleasure's all mine," Steve said back, kissing both Maria and Pepper's hands. Pepper had giggled, obviously flattered and cooed about what a gentleman the Captain was. Maria, however, just smirked and added, "Just save the love for later, Cap." He was still puzzled about what she meant of this. His bewilderment was dismissed when Tony popped by and grabbed Pepper's hand out of Steve's.

"Slow down there, Capsicle. She's a taken woman." Tony pecked a firm kiss on Pepper's lips to emphasize the point, which everyone smirked at. Steve nodded seriously and the brown haired billionaire rolled his eyes. "Oh, lighten up! But I'm serious. Hands off!"

Steve, coming out of his flashback, set his dark blue eyes on Clint and said, "What's coming?"

"Your Christmas present," Sam explained, clearly in on the joke. Or was it a joke? "We sent it by the post office, but then we thought why not give it to you ourselves?"

"Then I had to call the post office and ask them to steer it here again," Tony rolled his eyes.

"Guys, I told you, I don't need any Christmas presents," brushed off the golden haired Captain, being modest as usual. He gestured towards the bottom of the tree and at the several stacks of presents wrapped up in shiny paper and tied with glittery bows. "I have enough as it is."

"Nonsense," dismissed Maria, who was safely tucked away in the crook of Sam's arm. They had been flirting for a while and Steve had heard the whispered conversations on the phone whenever Sam left the room while they were just chilling. Also, when Maria came back from a mission, weak and tired, Sam had offered her to rest and stay at his place for a night and she heartily accepted.

"Besides, Steve, I don't think all of those presents are for you," Bruce shook his head with a small smile, which Steve returned.

"Oh, the hell they are!" exclaimed Tony, looking mock-horrified. "Over my dead body! At least eighty-two percent of those gifts are for Yours Truly." He patted his chest proudly with a smirk.

Maria and Clint scoffed, Thor and Sam laughed, Bruce and Steve chuckled and Pepper, who was perched upon the billionaire's lap, looked scoldingly down at him. "Tony, be nice."

"I am! So, Cap, been a while. Found any hot dates that will drop you at the first sight of me?" He raised his dark eyebrows and Steve couldn't help but chuckle again. The matchmaking all of his friends had been doing for him reminded him so much of a special someone. Someone who wasn't here, the absence tugging his heartstrings. He was always so worried about her, thinking she could be lost and alone out there, possibly dead-"

"Uh, no, nope, no one at all," the blond man answered quickly to interrupt his train of thought, bending his head down, trying to dispel his mind of all those dark and horrible things. That would never happen. Could never happen. She was a strong woman and all.

Everyone seemed to notice his stormy and conflicted mood, but since Sam was the first, he was the one to clear his throat and guide everyone off topic. "Oh, please. Every time I set him up with any decent woman on God's green earth, he comes back saying that he's not good enough for her. Don't you, Captain Conservative?" He flashed a bright smile displaying his white teeth that stood out against his dark skin.

Steve kind of frowned at the nickname. "Yeah, only 'cause it's true."

"Oh, really?" Tony challenged. "You're too modest for your own good. Why, I could find a million single girls out there who are dying for the chance to touch Captain America's-"

Iron Man's obviously dirty and suggestive comment was thankfully cut off by the sound of an insistent _Ding-dong!_

"Ah, about time!" Clint said, raising his glass of champagne to his lips. Darcy's head popped up from the couch, where she had been cuddling up to Clint's side.

"Is that the mailman?" she inquired, snatching the glass away from Clint and drinking some herself.

"It better be," grumbled Tony. "Or I'll be demanding my money back!"

The room burst out into laughter as Steve rose to his feet to answer the door. But once he swung the door open with a polite smile on his face, he froze immediately, muscles going stiff and rigid in astonishment. His big blue eyes blinked and then widened and the smile melted off his face, replaced with a jaw drop. This is most certainly not the mailman.

It was Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, the spy who had stolen his heart, the love of his life, the woman haunting his nightmares where he could not rescue her from the horrors of the world. And here she was, donning jeans and a tight black leather jacket since that was totally her thing. Her hair was now a dark, fiery red hair, spilling down her shoulders in gleaming curls and her lovely blue green eyes were blinking up at him, that gorgeous twinkle present in them and that beautiful smile tinging her pink lips.

"Hey," was all she said.

But the word was barely out of her mouth when Steve closed the distance between them and crushed her body to his in an intense embrace. Relief sent his muscles to sag out of their stiffness. Natasha tentatively raised a hand to pat his back in affection, heart soaring at his acceptance. She had been afraid that Steve would have rejected her, would have yelled at her about where she was and how she could have let him worry like that. Then she thought, What the hell? Who cares about showing emotions? The room was full of friends. She extended both arms and wrapped them around his strong waist, seeking refuge and comfort within him. He rubbed a hand down her back in return and every icy and cold thing inside of her melted for just a moment. She wanted to stay frozen inside of this moment forever.

"Merry Christmas, Steve," she murmured in Steve's ear and Steve had to kind of blush at how close her lips were to his skin, making his nerves tingle with delight. The redhead felt his chin move along her shoulder and she just knew he was grinning. She pulled away to see that great smile of his and his fascinating navy blue eyes. They gazed into one another's eyes and soon their faces were so close that their noses were touching-

"Ahem," someone coughed and Natasha and Steve both looked over his shoulder. Tony was now standing, looking sheepish while coughing into his fist. "How about a thank you? It took me forever to find her."

"You guys did this for me?" Steve asked, looking all around the room, eyes sparkling in gratitude. Even Tony had to smile at how jolly he looked.

"Of course we did," scoffed Sam. "Do you really think that low of us?"

"I told you we should have just gotten him a box of condoms," Clint joked. "He's gonna need it." He winked at them and everyone except Steve started laughing again and Natasha smirked at Steve's tomato red blush.

"Come on," urged the Captain once everyone died down and led her to the glittering tree which no one was occupying. He led her by the hand and when they got there, their hands still remained clasped firmly together. Natasha looked down at them thoughtfully and he began running the smooth pad of his thumb across her cheekbone.

"Let me go get your present," Steve said, reaching around the fireplace.

Natasha's eyebrows knit together in bewilderment. "How'd you know I was coming?"

"I didn't. I was going to give it to Fury, since he probably knew how to send it to you somehow."

She chuckled. She trusted that guy with her life. "Yeah, I guess. But really, I don't need anything."

"Here," Steve said unnecessarily, handing her a box. She frowned, but took it anyway. Everyone else pretended to be busy, but were really looking over their shoulders and peeking.

"Can I open it now or are you one of those people who want it opened on Christmas morning?"

"Now's okay."

That was enough for Natasha to rip off the green wrapping paper and flip open the top of the small box to reveal the present inside. "Wow, Steve," Natasha gasped, picking up the pearl bracelet with delicate fingers. "It's lovely. But it looks-"

"Expensive? Christmas sale," grinned the golden haired male.

"Mm-hmm. The cashier asked if he was getting married," Sam informed.

"Is it 'Embarrass the Captain' Day or something?" Steve groaned over the laughter.

"I love it," Natasha reassured, unclasping it, but Steve took it away from her.

"Here, let me." Natasha hesitated for a minute, but then waved her hand as if condescending, but actually enjoying this gentleman side of him. He fastened around her tiny wrist and she looked down at it with amusement sparkling in her olive green eyes.

"Speaking of commitment-"

"Nat, you have been here for two minutes and you're already going to start interfering with my love life?"

"Oh, you know me so well."

"Yeah, if you even think you can get away with- What are you all doing?"

Steve and Natasha's heads both whipped up at the sound of rustling branches. Tony was standing on Thor's shoulders behind them and the billionaire was jerking his arm longer and longer to pin something above them. It was mistletoe. The two Avengers looked absolutely ridiculous. When Steve realized this, he chuckled while shaking his head and said, "Really?"

"It was Falcon's idea," Clint ratted out.

Tony suddenly fell over and had latched onto Thor in the process, sending them both toppling to the ground in a heap. Steve glanced at Natasha, both of them forgetting the chaos around them. "So," he started.

"Right! Your present." She reached for her jacket and Steve's eyes widened. The red haired spy, clearly relishing this moment, hid her joy and plastered a smirk over her face. "What, Cap?"

"What exactly is your present?" asked he slowly, recalling Clint's suggestive comment.

"Rogers, do you honestly think I'm going to sell myself to you?"

"What?! No! Of course not! That's-"

"Kidding."

"Oh."

"What I really want to give you is this." She pulled out a paper and handed it over to Steve. He took it and read through it.

"This is a form."

"Mm-hmm."

"To Stark Tower."

"Uh-huh."

"Which you signed."

"Yes."

"For . . . permanent residency?" Steve's eyes were wider than saucers. "You mean . . . You're here to stay?"

"For now. Obviously not forever, but I'll always come back here after missions and such-"

"Oh my God. That's amazing!"

Both of them were grinning like lunatics and Steve had moved forward, lips almost touching hers until he pulled away. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for. I shouldn't have-" He was rubbing the back of his neck and Natasha, rolling her eyes, picked up the discarded piece of mistletoe from the floor and waved it around her face.

"Okay, come on, Steve! There is plenty of permission now!"

"Well, now don't act so desperate now, Romanoff," teased the man.

"Then kiss me and end my desperation," she whispered huskily in her ear and with a dark glint in his eye, he slid a hand around her waist and pulled her closer, lips finding hers immediately.

"Three cheers for Steve and Natasha!" cried Sam. "Hip-hip . . ."

"Hooray!"

They continued chanting, but Steve and Natasha didn't give a damn. They were too busy lost in their own world.


End file.
